BitesizeBio.com has published a new article entitled "Size-Selection Is Essential for Cell-Free DNA Studies", which sheds light on the most important aspects of DNA size selection when performing next generation sequencing of cell-free DNA.

The BitesizeBio.com website is used by individual scientists and companies to share their wisdom, know-how and solutions, creating what has been called "The Missing Manual for Bioscientists". It is used, loved, and depended upon by hundreds of thousands of bioscientists each month. The full article can be read at [http://bitesizebio.com/33206/size-selection-essent...](http://bitesizebio.com/33206/size-selection-essential-cell-free-dna-studies)

The article includes several interesting pieces of information, one in particular is that selecting for shorter DNA fragments substantially increased the detection of an allele mutation. This should be of particular interest to bioscientists because using liquid biopsies is a noninvasive way to detect and determine treatment and prognosis of numerous diseases, including cancer.

One of the most important pieces of information the article conveys is that DNA size selection is critical to getting accurate next generation sequencing results of cell-free DNA from liquid biopsies. The best example of this is perhaps found in the following extract:

'Incorporating a size-selection step to enrich for the DNA of interest is a promising concept, but experimentally it faces challenges on the yield front. In most studies, there is precious little cell-free DNA in a blood or plasma sample. Size-selecting with tools that may have low recovery rates is challenging for scientists who are reluctant to diminish viable target DNA even more.'

In discussing the article's creation, Dr. Amanda Welch, Editorial Manager at BitesizeBio.com said, "This article provides valuable information to scientists researching cell-free DNA and highlights how to overcome challenges particular to sequencing this form of DNA."

The article is part of Bitesize Bio's Sponsored Education series, and is published with the support of Sage Science, who develop products for the life sciences research markets. Their mission is to provide new systems to streamline and improve sample preparation workflows for DNA and protein analysis. Their website is http://www.sagescience.com/

BitesizeBio.com welcomes comments and questions from readers, in relation to the article, and other topics of interest to bio scientists. The website can be visited at http://bitesizebio.com